There are four categories of information disclosure:

  1. Required disclosure. This is information required by law to be published, such as an annual report.
  2. Routine disclosure. This is information of interest to the public that is released on a routine basis, such as statistics.
  3. Active disclosure. This is information released upon request without the need for applying for an assessed disclosure.
  4. Assessed disclosure. This is information released on application after it has been formally assessed under the provisions of the Right to Information Act.

Assessed disclosure is the method of last resort. Public authorities are expected to release as much relevant information as possible in response to enquiries (active disclosure) or that may be of public interest (routine disclosure) without the need for a formal application and assessment process.